


Shadow's Sight

by jaimistoryteller



Category: Original Work
Genre: Curses, F/M, Illness, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Magic, Magical Binding, Slavery, Soulmates, Supernatural Elements, Vampires, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-28
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-09 10:26:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3246221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaimistoryteller/pseuds/jaimistoryteller
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Magic is a very large part of her life, has been for years, and now she plans to use that magic to help her family no matter what the cost.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hunting

**Author's Note:**

> Hi folks! I know this is not one of my regular stories but it really wanted to be wrote, so here it is, if anyone has any comments or opinions I'd love to hear them.
> 
> Trying out regular third person POV, not sure how well it will work since I really prefer third person direct. 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> I realized that the binding of sentient creatures could count as slavery and while there are no human slaves, I still found it best to add that to the tags to be on the safe side.

He watches as she moves through the streets unprotected, unescorted, alone. His dark eyes following her as she politely inclines her head to those who she passes. A feral smile curves his lips as he decides she would be his. It had been years since any female was so foolish as to be alone. With a thought he is mist, flowing towards her and following. He would wait until she was completely alone, with no other one on the street before he took her. None would even notice, and if any came looking for her they would be met with silence for all knew that he took the solitary.

Through the city he continues to stay with her, nothing more than the dust on the wind around her until they reach the cities gates. There his guards tried to stop her, the only people to try and save her so far.

“Miss, you should not be alone!” the oldest of the four standing watch exclaims as he sees there is no one with her. His eye darting around as he looks for the threats he knows there are.

A gentle smile curves her lips as she replies, “I am never alone and always solitary.”

He can taste the confusion from the guards as they glance at each other, trying to figure out what that means. Truthfully, he is curious about it as well. Never alone but always solitary? What a curious choice of words for a young woman to use.

“Please Miss,” the smallest of the four states pleadingly, “Just stay at the post until morning, it will be safe then.”

Still smiling, she gives him a gentle look, “I promise I shall be fine, this is not the first time I have traveled like this in areas where danger is common to solitary females.”

Again the use of the word solitary. He is curious why she does not say that she is alone, clearly she is, there are no others with her and yet she acts as if she is not. It is most interesting and a bit confounding since he has never seen any female act like that before.

For a few moments more the guards try to talk her out of leaving the city, of traveling alone, of going into the dangers that are present where people are not. To all of it she replies gently, a small smile curving her lips as if she knows something they do not, and she reassures them she will be fine, that she is not alone just solitary, which confuses them to no ends. Eventually she is gets them to move, and continues on her way, passing through the gates and the relative protection of the city and onto the open road which leads into the dark.

Despite the fact he had originally been hunting her, he decides to continue following, for it was rare that there was anything interesting about a mortal, and yet that was all she had presented since he had first seen her. She hums a low sound that reminds him of bells and makes him wonder why a creature like her was traveling. All through the night this continues until she reaches a small cottage miles from the city. A different type of smile curls her lips as she steps to the door and he knows he must grab her now since she will be safe once she passes the entryway.

Just as he is readying to solidify she turns, looking directly at the spot where his mist is gathering and states, “You may enter as long as you mean me and mine no harm,” before she turns back to the door and slides in while he is frozen with shock.

Who was she speaking to? There was no way she could know he had followed her. He was nothing but air and water and dust. Nothing solid that could be noticed. Yet she had look at the general region where he currently was, she had left the door open as if in invitation. If she knew he is there, then she must understand the sort of danger she is in, so why would she do something so dangerous?

A frown curves his lips as he solidifies and stares at the door as he tries to determine what is going on. Since she is the only human for miles he should be able to hear her thoughts now that he has returned to his natural form and yet he cannot. Silence is the only thing to greet him. In the long run his curiosity wins, and he steps up to the door, head tilting as his eyes follow the door frame. One long fingered hand reaching out to touch the area between the wood, to see if he could pass through it or not. Amazement fills him when his fingers pass without touching the protections of the door. With a single step, he finishes passing through it, glancing around at the warm room before him.

“Please close the door, you are letting a draft in,” he hears her call out from a different part of the cabin.

From outside he never would have guessed that there was more than one room. Startled he does as bid, stepping in one more step, before turning slightly to do so. A feeling of warmth fills him for the first time since he stopped being human hundreds of years before. It was most unusual, uncomfortable and longed for all at once. Hmmmm, something more to consider.

In order to pull his mind away from the thoughts filling it, he glances about, taking in the wooden outer walls that seem like they are slender logs, not the normal fat ones, the dividing walls of thin boards carefully flattened, the cloth doors that divide the rooms compared to the heavy log door of the front of the house. There are two windows that he can see, both with shimmering stained glass and shutters on the outside to protect them. A large fireplace of some sort of brick is built into the wall that divides this room from the next, yet it does not seem like it is a double sided one. Two chairs of wood and millet filled cushions flank the fireplace with a small table between them. On the farthest wall is built in bookcases filled with books, so many books it is hard for him to believe.

“You do not have to just stand there you know,” she murmurs as she enters the room carrying a tray with several dishes on it with covers. “It is perfectly alright to sit down, and look, there are chairs and a table at which you can do so,” she continues as she quickly glides across the room to the small dining table pressed before one of the windows. Setting her burden down, she pulls the first seat out and settles in it before proceeding to uncover the dishes to serve herself.

He can feel his brows pull together as he watches her in confusion, he more confounding is the fact he finds himself hungering for the food he can smell rather than her blood. It is not a feeling he has felt since his conversion so it takes him a moment to realize what it is.

“Who are you?” he breathes questioningly.

“Tzila,” she answers lightly, “I greet you Khalon of Solace,” she continues just as lightly.

He can feel his eyes widening, how does she know his name? None have spoken his name in years, not since the last of his original household had died, even his several-greats grand nephew who currently ruled did not call him by name.

“Who are you?” he repeats, his voice full of wonder and shock.

She just smiles, the same type of smile as he had watched her give countless people during her trip here. “Please enjoy,” she tells him instead, motioning to the food before them.

Slowly he sits. His long body folding as he takes a seat. As if in a dream or a memory he makes himself a plate of food, not sure if he even likes any of the selections she has laid out it has been so long since he last ate like a human.

“Please tell me of yourself, Khalon,” she murmurs between bites of food.

“Why?” he demands, his voice harsh.

Tilting her head to the side, she replies, “Because I desire to know the person who will be my brother-in-law on a more personal level than just through Seeing his past.”

It is not the answer he had expected. Of all of the possible choices, it really was not the one he had thought she would say. Her brother-in-law? Not likely, he had never found the one who completed him, the one who was to free him from the hell he was cursed to until he found his match and mate. Nearly six-hundred years had passed since that curse had taken hold.

“In answer to the question within your mind, I am well aware of who and what you are. I know that you normally feed on blood, often going so long between feedings that you lose control and kill. I know you hate yourself and what you have become, particularly when you remember the fact you had once been the cities protector but now you feel like its destroyer. I know the one thing you seek, the person to break the soul-curse seems to be an impossible goal, one you think will never be answered or realized.” She pauses for a moment, a mischievous expression on her face, “I also know that you originally followed me because I was a female traveling unaccompanied and you thought I would be easy prey.”

“What are you?” he demands.

Instead of answering, she returns to eating. Something tells him that she is not going to answer until she is ready, and trying to force her to would fail. Growling, he decides to try eating. He is shocked when the first bite of the roast melts on his tongue, flaking apart and filling his mouth with flavor. It is almost more than he can handle as he reaches for the glass of water that she had poured for him, a small part of him wondering if she was trying to trick and poison him.

“I am not, continue to eat, and when you finally start thinking you will understand why I have not answered.” She states before returning to her meal.

How dare she, he internally seethed, she had no idea of the type of danger she was in. He could kill her without even trying. Though as he thinks about it, he wonders if he really could, so far nothing had gone the way he had expected. Hmmmm.

The rest of the meal is silent, not that he really notices because he is locked in his head, his mind whirling and thinking about things he has not recalled in years.

She on the other hand is waiting patiently for him to answer her question. She knows he will answer because he will eventually realize that she would not answer his questions otherwise.

“I was born in Solace just over six-hundred twenty-three years ago to the lord of the manor, Lord Gideon the Fair and his lady wife, Nadine.” He tells her after she has cleaned up the remains of the meal. “When I was sixteen I was engaged to the daughter of a local sorceress. For the next seven years I courted her as was expected but I never found any interest in her, instead my desires were for the daughter of one of the grain merchants. It was not that I loved the other girl, just that she was more interesting, and my choice.” He smiles ruefully, “The sorceress discovered this and ended the engagement. Excited I had gone to the grain merchant’s daughter, planning to bed her that night, only I ended up draining her of all her blood and killing her instead. She died in my arms, tears running down her face.” He closes his eyes as he remembers it as clear as yesterday, “I froze with shock and was found with her dead body still in my grasp. Her blood dripping down my jaw. My father was horrified and condemned me to death by entombing only it failed, I destroyed the stone sarcophagus that they had placed me in, and killed my guards draining them dry as well.”

For a time he falls silent as the memories over take him, she watches his expression and waits patiently, not bothering to tell him she knows all this since his expression gives so much more detail than her viewing it in the scrying bowl. It shows her how it affected him and still does to this day. Her expression is encouraging as she waits for him to go on.

“It took nearly three years before I learned to control my curse, my hunger, and another two before I discovered where the sorceress was so I could demand that she fix me. Only she laughed instead, telling me that only finding the one who awoke my heart would restore me to life.” He closes his eyes as he speaks, a pained expression on his face. “Since then I have wandered my families lands, I learned early on that I could not leave them, that I was bound to the domain my family controlled.”

Again he falls silent, his eyes still closed.

“I was born Tamsyn Maram Knight, when I was fourteen years old my twin brother Thomas was killed by a fire drake before my eyes. As he died I instinctively used the energy his death caused to bind the drake, forcing it to my will. The mage testers had all said I lacked magic, and yet, here I was, using magic. After that I became a shadow of my former self, no longer joyful or playful, I spent all my time studying. My younger sister Caralyn is the first to call me Tzila when she found the name in an old book of magic, its meaning Shadow.”

She smiles wistfully, recalling her brother in perfect clarity. That fire drake still defended her, always nearby to protect her from any threat and the reason that she was never alone even when solitary, though it was not something that she allowed others to know. In the years since her twins death there had been several times she had considered killing the drake, but she always found she could not.

“Why do you say I will be your brother-in-law?” he eventually asks, hoping she will answer.

Standing she moves over to the book shelf, running her fingers over the edges of the books before carefully pulling one off. “Because I called you to me, truthfully I called you to her, but you cannot enter the house and my parents would not allow you in until I had ensured you were not a threat. According to them, their unnatural daughter is expendable, their other children are not.” A smirk curves her lips, “Not that they realizes I know they think that.”

She suddenly turns to him, her eyes appearing to be black with speckles of light like stars in them, “Would you like that? To be free of the curse? To take your place as the rightful ruler? To have someone who will love you with everything in her as long as you are willing to do the same?”

“Yes,” he hisses, he keens.

She nods once, a predatory smile curving her lips, causing him to wonder if he selected the wrong choice. Outside he can feel the daylight, he is trapped within this building with no escape. Normally that would not bother him, but right now he is certain he should be very bothered by it.

“Perfect.” She states, power ringing in that single word and changing his fate forever.


	2. Feeding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for any form of communication, I love it and it keeps me writing!
> 
> Tumblr about my stories: [ JaimiStoryTeller](http://jaimistoryteller.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Lots of thanks to sxcsox666 and Amythe3lder for encouragement on this story.

Nervously, he steps back but finds that there really is not anywhere for him to go.

“Do not fret, Khalon, my sister is too important to me to do you harm.” She tells him before setting the book on the table and collecting the dishes. “Besides, if things work the way I want, I will have bigger creatures to fry than a curse-born vampire.”

Without another word she takes those dishes into the area he assumes is the kitchen before returning before he has a chance to do anything more. Grabbing the book off the table she drifts over to the chairs by the fireplace and settles into the one on the left.

“You can get comfortable if you wish,” she states, tilting her head to the side she asks, “Would you be more comfortable if there was someone else here as well?”

He blinks, trying to figure out who she could be referring to. According to his senses there are no other humanoid life forms for miles.

“Khronthises attend me,” she murmurs before he has a chance to answer.

He feels as the energy swirls and ripples through the cabin. Filling it with a power unlike any he has felt in years. Slowly it seems to pull together to form a perfectly shaped male body with two folded up bat-like wings of dark purple attached to a blue and purple marbled form. Bright blue eyes observe everything and a dark smile curves his lips. This creature is more of a danger than he is.

“Thises, this is Kharon, I make him uncomfortable so you are to keep him company while I do my research.” She orders, her tone distracted as she opens her book.

“As my Mistress desires,” the demon replies, a moment later he appears to be a pale skinned and dark haired human with nothing on. Without a word the tall creature heads through a second door that he had not noticed and returns a few minutes later wearing a pair of leather pants and nothing more. “Has the Mistress given you cause for concern vampire?” the demon inquires as he settles on the floor beside the mages chair closer to the table. An absentminded hand reaches over to stroke his hair as she continues to work.

Brow furrowing, he thinks about it for a moment before giving a small shake of his head and slowly making his way to the other seat to hesitantly sit down.

“He’s bothered by all mages, Thises, which is why I made sure not to alert him to the fact I am one until we were in the cabin and the sun was up,” she answers distractedly, her focus clearly on her book, though she lowers it for a moment to look at the demon seated so close, “I will be taking you with me to the house.”

“As my Mistress desires,” the demon responds tilting his head into her hand a bit more, “So Kharon, would you like to discuss anything or particular or should I just start talking and see what things make you uncomfortable or not?”

He thinks about it for a little bit before replying, “Do you know anything about this young lady your mistress seems to think is my soulmate?”

“Mistress?” the demon questions with a sideways glance to her, as if asking her permission.

“Caralyn, and please do,” she answers without looking away from what she has returned to reading.

He inclines his head slightly, so that her fingers end of brushing his neck on the downward stroke before he begins to speak, “Miss Caralyn is the youngest of the siblings, she’s rather small maybe five feet tall, with lovely golden blonde hair that gleams amber in sunlight,” the demon pauses to wince as she sinks her fingers into his hair and jerks sharply, “No Mistress I have not considered touching her, just describing her,” he states softly as his head tilts towards the hand that is currently forcing him to bare his throat.

Her fingers loosen, returning to their light touches and allowing him to straighten his head again, a frustrated look blazing in his cerulean eyes for a brief moment before it passes and he begins to speak again, “Due to a lack of sunlight she is ghostly pale, and due to the Mistress’s barer and sire not allowing her to move around much she is physically weak. However she does have marvelously expressive green eyes and a cute little mouth.” He tilts his head before his Mistress even has a chance to tug on his head, baring his throat as he knows she desires in apology.

For a demon like him, the baring of the throat is something he really hates doing, however it pleases his Mistress and since he is not allowed to pull power from sex like the vast majority of his kind, he has to get his energy from her pleasure instead. It is degrading and infuriating but the results of a choice he had made when he had tried to kill her several years before. At least she had not destroyed him as most mages were wont to do when a demon tried to kill them to take their life’s energy.

“Personality wise she is a gentle girl, always wishing to help others despite her lack of ability to do so, it physically saddens her. She is well read, or as well read as someone who is often restricted can be. Birds, particularly her sun parakeet that the Mistress got her for her birthday, are her favorite animals for their ability to fly and be free.” A thoughtful look crosses the demons face as he thinks about it for a bit, “When she is not reading she spends a lot of time writing, for reasons known only to her, she finds the Mistress’ elementals very interesting creatures to converse with, though I personally find them slow.” He bites his lip for a moment, “I think it has to do with the fact that she is not allowed around most people, just the Mistress, her parents, and her sisters. Her brothers are forbidden from seeing her.” the demon smirks, “I rather enjoyed the terror that the Mistress’ barer and sire have any time they spot me near the Miss.”

He might have tried to kill his Mistress prior to her becoming his Mistress but now that she was his, there was no way he was going to allow anyone to harm her. Those two foolish humans annoyed him, and if he had not been ordered not to harm any of the family members he would have killed them long before after using their bodies to get the type of energy he truly desired.

The vampire was a bit confused as to why the mage had forced the demon to show his throat. Was there some sort of meaning behind the action? He was also happy that the demon was trying to describe more than just her physical attributes. So this girl that he was supposedly soulmates with loved books and birds. The mansion that was the family’s original seat of power has an excellent library, and while it had been years since the servants had had been there, he was sure with his return to power, it would not be difficult to have it properly cleaned. The sun room on the south side of the mansion could be converted into an aviary with ease once it was cleaned up.

“How old is she and how many siblings are there?” he questions after a few minutes of thinking about changes that could be made if things work out.

“Miss Caralyn is seventeen, following her is Adina at eighteen, Maeve and Ethan at twenty, Brandon and Brendan are twenty-three though why name their twins the same thing I will never understand, Jeffery is twenty-four, and…” his voice trails off as he glances at his Mistress, she nods just the slightest so he finishes, “the Mistress is twenty-nine.” Shrugging he states, “I do not know the barer or sire’s names, killing them is far more interesting than learning about them and since I am not allowed to kill them,” he shrugs again with a predatory smile, “I ignore them instead.”

“Oh,” is the only thing he can think to say, hundreds of years of life, and there is nothing better that comes to mind at such a blunt description. So there are eight living siblings, nine siblings if one counts the dead brother. What a large family, he cannot recall a single time his family has been that large, even when he was alive.

“Let’s see, what else is there to speak of in regards to the Miss in question.” The demon murmurs thoughtfully as his eyes drift shut and he enjoys the fact his Mistress seems to be in a good mood considered she had only forced his head back once and accepted his offering the other time he said something he knew she would be displeased with. There had to be more to speak of, his Mistress had bid him to reassure the vampire that he was in no danger from her but how to do that. “Book preference is none that I have seen so far, she has delighted in every book ever handed to her in some way or another, which is remarkable because she has a collection of really boring medical books that she had me read to her once with the Mistress’ permission, I felt like I was going to sleep through it, but she just smiled and took notes.” He tilts his head slightly so his Mistress’ fingers brush across the sensitive tip of his ear as he continues thinking, “She dreams of dancing, any type, by herself or with a partner, just to be up and moving. She wants someone to want her for her and not her family connections.”

Sighing, he tips his head forward, presenting his Mistress with the back of his neck while the clueless vampire watches. What sort of things might he find useful? “Favorite color amber gold and dawn red, favorite gemstone ambers, she doesn’t wear a lot of jewelry and not just because she doesn’t have any, she does, but I think she dislikes most the styles that she has. You could make this easier by asking questions,” he calmly states, a slightly complaining quality to his voice.

“I’m not sure what to ask about,” he replies softly, feeling himself blush.

“When was the last time you fed?” she piles up before her incubus has a chance comment.

Defensively, he responds, “Four days ago, I am due to feed again in tomorrow.”

“Hmmmm,” she responds, her gaze moves from her now lowered book to the creature kneeling beside her, “You have until sundown to find and return with a real criminal, the type that would be put to death,” she tells him, “The normal hunting rules apply.”

He can see the sudden burst of energy that seems to pour through the demon despite the fact he does not move from his spot. It is an excitement that should bother him, he thinks, because it means something and but he cannot bring himself to think that way.

“Go,” she bids him, and a moment later the creatures is gone, first into what he assumes is a bedroom and then out of the cabin, taking care to not allow the sunlight to touch him for which he is thankful. “I am going to rest for a few hours. Feel free to explore the living room and kitchen to your heart’s desire, I would not suggestion opening the door closest to the cooking stove in the kitchen, but the rest should be safe enough.”

Getting up, she drifts over to the book shelves where she replaces the book she had been going through before suggesting, “Do not touch any of the books on the upper two shelves unless you wish to burn your hands, they are spelled so only I may handle them.”

With that she heads into that room he is sure is a bedroom before closing the door.

For the next few hours he spends his time drifting around the cabin, looking at everything, as the sun hits its zenith he feels his body growing heavy, it is unusual for him to be out and active much pasted early morning since the sun burns his skin and he does not like ghosting around the house alone. Sighing he decides to stretch out on the sofa he had spotted on his second glance around pressed against the wall where he was sure the table had been previously. He seriously dislikes mages and magic but at the moment it seemed to be useful.

It is nearly night time when he is awoken to the sound of two new heart beats close by. Less than a minute later the front door opens with two men entering with the demon close behind humming happily.

“It’s like Yuletide,” the demon happily states, “I found two that qualified, two!” There is an excitement to the demon that makes his skin crawl. The demon glances around for a minute before settling into his spot beside the chair, “The Mistress is resting?”

He nods, glancing at the two humans who are just standing there with vacant expressions on their faces standing by the door.

“You two go sit by the window and keep quiet, if you do you will enjoy the reward,” the demon orders them as he gets to his feet and heads to the kitchen.

Curious, he follows and is surprised to see the deadly creature making a plate of food. Without speaking, the demon carries it out to the living room in order to place it on the table beside the chair before sinking into his position again.

Less than an hour later the mage exits her room, dressed in a different outfit and looking as if she has gotten a bath. “Thank you Thises,” she tells him, gently running her hand over the top of his hair as she settles into her seat and eats. “As always you have done excellent work. Now who did you select and why?”

He just about preens at the compliment, feeling the rush of energy that her praise gives him, “The one on the left is a child-toucher, liking them to be too little to fight back. The one on the right likes to kill for the pleasure, often torturing his victims before killing them to enjoy their pain.” He explains, “Will they work?”

When she is done eating, she stands, walking over to her bookshelf where she pulls a large silvery bowl from off of the top of it, something he had not noticed. Smiling at it, she drifts back to her seat before using her first two fingers to etch something above the bowl. A moment later it fills with a liquid that does not appear to be water. Then she waves a hand towards the two humans.

“Slender human come here,” the demon bids softly, with a glance to the humans as he curls a finger towards them.

The one that had been identified as a child-toucher stands and dazedly comes to stand beside the table, staring blankly at the bowl.

“Kneel and place one hand finger tips touching the water,” the demon orders.

The human does as told, though he screams when his fingers touch the water and the screaming doesn’t stop as the mage looks at the water with a dark expression on her face.

“Acceptable,” she states, “the other one.”

Roughly shoving the human away, the demon nods and repeats the process with the second human.

“Also acceptable,” she murmurs as the demon shoves the second human away. Glancing at him, she states, “Feel free to select one to feed, Thises may feed on the other.”

For a minute he sits there staring at the mage before him, shocked that she is suggesting that he feed on these humans. Though if he understood exactly what the demon said, both deserve it for being the slime of society. Besides, is it not best to feed on the evils rather than risk an innocent? He selects the second one, the murder, finding grim humor in leaving the child-toucher to a sex demon.

“Alright,” he states, “him,” he points at the one he had picked.

She nods, motioning to the remaining one with a lazy wave of her hand. A moment later the demon is on his feet, dragging the other human outside with an unearthly predatory smile. As the human passes out of the cabin he screams but the screams are soon cut off, making him shiver at the lack of sounds. He does not feel sorry for the man, yet he does not want to know what happened either.

Instead, he lifts his and glances around, before he has a chance to say anything the mage comments, “Take it outside if you would, Thaloam will dispose of whatever is left over.”

Whats a thaloam? He wonders as he does as suggested, happy that the sun is setting and the trees keep the remaining light away. Well he would find out soon enough. Once outside, he looks around for a good spot, selecting an area just a little ways away to drag the nearly comatose human before hefting him up and sinking his fangs into the vein. Normally he would make sure to dull the pain, but this man’s thoughts are far viler than even his at his darkest of times. At least when he kills it’s out of necessity and not a sick pleasure. He’d normally stop when he felt the heart slowing, but this time he pushed it to the limit, not stopping until the heart was nearly dead before dropping him.

“I always love it when the Mistress allows me to properly feed.” The demon remarks from beside the door, “If you come over here you can watch as the remains are taken away.”

His looks like a very pale version of himself, like he had just fainted in place. The demon’s on the other hand has been stripped of his clothes, his body appears to have claw marks on it, and he looks almost mummified.

“I thought you fed on sex energy?” he inquires as he cocks his head to the side studying the grisly sight.

That predatory smile is back, with a slightly satisfied smirk to it, “Oh I do, but unlike most of my kind, my favorite type of sex energy is from when their body dies during the process. Normally I would make it take longer, but the Mistress probably has a plan and I would hate to upset her timeline.”

“Ugh,” he shutters, “How…?” he questions, his voice trailing off as he glances between the demon and the door.

“How did I come to serve my Mistress?” he completes the question with a tilt of his head as he watches the vampire.

Nodding, he answers, “Yes.”

“Ten years ago I found this young woman using a mercury silver bowl to scry with. I offered to teach her and all I wanted in exchange was a single kiss.” The demon fondly recalls, “It was a ruse I had used on thousands of mages before, it never failed. One kiss and I could use them until their magic was mine and their bodies were dried out husks.” He frowns, frustration entering tone, “She accepted and insisted that I show her I could scry first. If I would have been thinking about it I would have realized it was a trap. For the moment I touched her bowl energy surrounded me, she kissed me alright, while both our hands were on the bowl, binding my soul and will to hers, making me nothing more than a toy to be used at her pleasure. Somehow she had used my own gift against me, as a result, I am now hers to do with as she pleases.” He gives a shake of his head, “Still, it is not a horrid life, she feds me energy and allows me to hunt creatures like those when she wants me to be strong.”

The demon suddenly stops speaking, and points to the ground a little ways away. “There, he comes to remove the remains. I never asked what the earth elemental does with them, I just know that they are completely destroyed.”

He turns to watch where the demon is pointing, his eyes widening at the sight before him, it seems as if the ground itself is moving and yet there is no sort of trail or disturbance of the ground to show for it. Moments pass and the ground seems to rise up, forming a vaguely male shape of sand, stone, and dirt before it lifts first one than the other body before vanishing back into the ground, taking the corpses with it.

“Come on Khalon, let’s go see what the Mistress has planned next,” the demon happily suggests before heading back into the cabin.

For a minute he debates it, he is out in the open where he could easily escape, and yet the promise of being free means far more than a simple escape now.


	3. Home Bound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any comments would be greatly appreciated, thank you to any one for any form of communication, I love it and it keeps me writing!
> 
> Tumblr about my stories: [ JaimiStoryTeller](http://jaimistoryteller.tumblr.com/)

While the demon and vampire are feeding, she gathers a few items into her small carrying bag. She is quite certain that her parents are going to resist but that is not an issue for her, Thises can charm them to compliance. The problem she foresees is the Cleric of Dal'gahn who has spent the last five years trying to convence her parents to hand Caralyn over to the temple.

Eyes narrow as she considers anything else she might require. Silver mercury knife, scrying bowel, protective opal, and silver summoning pendant. Perhaps she should take the binding knife or pendant as well.

When the males come back in, Thises has blood on him while there is not a single sign that Khalon fed except he is not as pale.

"Go clean up Thises, dress for comfort, I suspect that there will be a small disturbance." she orders the demon, waving her hand towards the room.

He quickly nods, moving to do her bidding. Normally he would soak for a bit but he has decided not to because he is certain that his Mistress is on a timeline. Instead he baths quickly, not even heating the water first. When he is done he dresses in loose pants, shirt, and coat that are designed to make him blend in before putting on his uncomfortable but required shoes.

Returning to the main room he stops next to the Mistress but does not kneel. She had long before ordered that he not when wearing public clothes to keep them from getting messed up. Instead he stands perfectly still with his head bowed respectfully. He knows if she is well pleased he will be reward

Smiling at him, she carefully straightens his tunic murmuring, "Good choice."

He just about preens at his Mistress' compliment. Twice today she has been pleased. This is good, very good.

Meanwhile the vampire is staring in shock at the pair. He knows that incubus are powerful demons and yet he can see that this one is very obedient to the mage who bound him. For her to have such complete control, she must be very powerful as well and yet she does not carry herself like any powerful mage he has ever seen. A large part of him is curious why, but it is not something he actually plans to ask about.

"Well gentlemen, I believe it is time to go," she remarks, stepping away from the demon and collecting her small travel bag to throw it over her shoulder.

Both immortals nod, the demon stepping so he is slightly behind her and to the left, while the vampire heads toward the door. A few minutes later the trio is leaving the cabin and heading back towards the city. As they are travelling the mage offers the vampire to return to his gaseous form.

The return trip is quicker than the trip out to the cabin much to the vampires shock. Perhaps it is because she is not moseying , she is moving with purpose. When they reach the city gates she calls out a welcome to the guards.

"Who goes there?" the head guard demands watching the three of them.

"Tzila of the Elements, a friend, and my pet," she replies evenly, tucking her hands into her sleeves and waiting patiently.

"Prove it," the guard retorts, eyes on the males more than her, as if they are the threat and not her.

Pulling her hands from her sleeves her eyes narrow at the guard as she has a ball of fire appear above her left hand, an orb of stone materializes above her right hand, and a ribbon of water swirls between them. From there the balls of energy move to swirl around the first guard, coming together to make a colorful cocoon around him before separating out to go do the same before moving to wrap the second. Afterwards it returns to spinning above and between her hands. Closing her fists the energy vanishes.

"Milady," the older guard bows to her before calling out to the gate keeper, "Raise the gate!"

The old gate lifts and the three of them pass through. Once they are through the gate falls closed behind them. She does not say anything to the inside guards as she continues to move through to the city. Many of the city guards greet her with a nod that she returns. A few even greet the demon much to the shock of the vampire.

"Do you travel often?" the vampire inquiries as they comes to stop before the gates of an old, dark red brick house.

"Often enough," she remarks tilting her head as she waves her hand at the gate. It clicks open and swings wide without her touching it. Stepping through she turns to face him stating, "Be welcome as long as you mean me and mine no harm."

Tilting his head to the side, he steps through the entrance, feeling the same type of energy he had felt when he first entered her cabin, only it is far more noticeable. Wasn't this house her families? So why did it seem to be keyed to her? It was definitely a curious thing, something he would have to ask about later.

She turns to the demon, motioning to the house, “Go greet Caralyn,” she directs him with a small smile.

He bows, “Of course, the young miss is always fun to speak with,” the demon replies before just about skipping inside.

Closing her eyes, she focuses for a moment of the elements before murmuring, “Yuri, Ari you are summoned.”

The air seems to shimmer for a moment before a vaguely female form materializes. “Mistress,” the wind woman hisses out, “You called.”

Moments later all of the moisture in the air seems to vanish as it is pulled together in order to form a physical body of a female. “My lady.”

“Alert me when the fools arrive, slow them down but do not engage them in full combat,” she orders the two elemental creatures, looking between them before she heads into the house without waiting for a reply.

He decides to follow, mostly to see if he can enter the house with the same ease as he had the cabin after she had invited him. Inside the house he discovers who he assumes are most of the siblings greeting the mage. They seem to be ignoring him for the moment. Choosing instead to hug her and say hello. Two older humans seem to be hanging back, but there is a glazed look to their expression as they just stay in place.

“If you will excuse us,” she eventually remarks, “I wish to introduce my guest to Cara.”

There is a chorus of alright and okay before the small group moves, the majority of them now giving him a curious look as he follows the mage up the stairs to the second story and down the hall to the very last room. She pauses to knock twice before stepping into the room but he hesitates at the door. Supposedly this female he was about to meet was his soulmate, the other half of his soul, the one to complete him. It is not something that he takes lightly, particularly after so many years of existing. Hopefully he is able to make a good impression because he does not know what he would do otherwise.

Inside the room he can hear soft speaking but he does not focus in until he hears the mage stating his name rather impatiently, his queue to enter the room.

“Caralyn love, this is Khalon of Solace,” the mage states motioning to him from her spot perched on the edge of the bed.

Seated on the center of the bed is a young woman with the most animated and vibrant emerald eyes he has ever seen. While the demon had described her fairly accurately physically he is still not prepared for the shock that goes through his system as he sees her. Centuries of manners and customs serve him well as he bows in the politest style he can think out of habit more than anything. Too much of his mind is absorbing the details before him and connecting them with the details that the demon had informed him of.

“I will leave you two in peace, Thises will be outside the door to prevent any incidents.” The mage states as she stands, one slender hand brushing the finger tips of the nervous girl who is staring at him with wide eyes comfortingly.

“Tza,” she mutters softly, hand clutching at the older females for a moment.

Leaning forward to kiss her sisters cheek, the mage whispers in her ear, “Believe me he is no threat or he would have been bound,” before she straightens and steps away from the bed without ever glancing at him.

Both demon and mage step out, however his attention is solely on the beautiful girl.

“Hello,” she eventually states after several minutes of staring at him, the emotions in the air are evening out, as if she is coming to relax, “I’m Caralyn Knight,” she continues, not blinking as she tilts her head to the side. There is an ethereal quality to her as if she is not quite part of this world.

Stepping a little bit closer to the bed, he bows once more, “Khalon of Solace,” he introduces himself, surprised at the slightly husky tone to his voice, “Though I am mostly called Alon.”

An amused smile tugs at her lips as she watches him, “Do you have a preference?” she asks after a bit.

He gives a small shake of his head. There is a strange feeling passing through him, but he is unaware of what it is and only barely aware that it is even there because of how focused he is. In a distant memory he recalls that he must actually touch her before the soulmate link will come alive. Now though as he looks at her, he is not sure he really wishes to bind her to him, she seems to be sweet and pure, while he is a killer, both by nature and by the fact he was trained as a knight during his youth.

Carefully setting her hands, she shifts her body closer to the edge of the bed before holding one hand out for him. It is a gesture he was not expecting. “If Tza says you will not harm me, then it worthless to fret,” she states calmly, “it is nice to meet you.”

Stepping forward one more time puts him at the edge of the bed. Leaning slightly, he accepts the hand, kissing the back of it in a rather courtly fashion. As soon as his lips graze her skin a jolt of energy flares through him, knocking him on his ass as his legs seem to give out. That odd feeling that had been building in the back of his mind since he entered the room surges now, he can feel his organs being remade and awakening, his body coming back alive in a way it had not been since the curse had first set in.

“Are you alright?” the girl demands with a touch of panic in her voice.

When he does not answer immediately she uses her arms and a bit of her legs to edge closer to the edge of the bed to stare over the edge and watch him. Her wide eyes are even bigger, seeming to dominate her face as she repeats herself, her voice getting a bit shriller, “Are you alright?”

Slowly he nods, his body feels almost like lead, much like the feeling he has at the zenith of the sun for the last several centuries. “I’m fine,” he eventually replies, it takes a moment for him to get his tongue to work. He tries to stand, but ends up back on the floor with a thump. This is rather embarrassing, what is going on?

Stepping back into the room the mage’s lips curve in a smile as she watches the vampire and her sister. There is very obvious concern written over her sisters features and longing hidden just below the surface. “Thises,” she very softly states, calling her companion into the room.

“Yes Mistress?” he queries from just a bit behind her, his voice equally as low.

“I am going to help Cara get comfortable, place Khalon on the edge of the bed once I move.” She directs him, hand motioning to the vampire.

Even before she had summoned him with the old magics to call him to his mate, she had been aware of what the conversion would do. He would still be a vampire however he would not be the same as he had been since his changing. At this moment his body was radically realigning itself. Organs healing and becoming active, his gifts changing slightly to reflect his new situation, as was his curse. Once the change is done, he would be able to convert Cara as well and she would go through a similar process. During which all of the illness and suffering that she tolerated on a regular bases would be demolished from her system. She would awaken from it purely healed, if a bit weak. They would have matched life spans, but their life spans would be elongated, measured in centuries not decades. If they desired they could even have children, though she had made tonic for her sister to take in case she wished to hold off for a bit once they got to that part of their relationship. After all, when one has hundreds of years to live, there is no reason to rush anything.

Walking over to the bed, she hops over the prone vampire, to settle on the edge of the bed by her sister’s feet.

“Do something!” Cara demands, tone full of worry.

Smiling, she nods once as she answers, “I am, first we have to get you scooted back over, then Thises is going to settle him on the edge of the bed here, the closer he is the faster the transition will occur. It is perfectly safe to touch him, though I would not suggest disrobing him unless you wish to be in an awkward situation before you are ready.” there is a touch of amusement in her voice as she finishes up and a chuckle escapes her when her sister starts to blush.

Glancing between her and the vampire her sister implores a little softer, “You are sure he is alright? He touched my hand and then just collapsed,” the younger girl is absently rubbing her finger tips over the back of her hand, her upper body weight resting on her elbow.

“I am certain, his body is going through a series of changes right now as the curse that has been a part of him for hundreds of years changes.” She answers, “Shall we?”

Bobbing her head once the younger girl shifts her body weight. The mage can see that it is tiring her so she moves to help her, settling on her knees so that her arms are available to do so. It takes them a few moments during which time the demon has scooped up the now unconscious vampire. Once Cara is back in the same spot as when they had first arrived, the mage scoots off of the bed so that the demon can set him down.

“He’s tall,” Cara murmurs in shock as she realizes he is almost longer than her bed, his feet just barely fitting.

“Do you wish me to stay?” the mage queries as she watches them, noticing that Cara seems to be getting sleepy herself and understanding it is the bond between them forming.

Giving a small shake of her head, the younger girl responds, “No, I think I am going to lay down,” yawning she continues in a murmur, “I’m suddenly very tired.”

“Rest well Caralyn love, I will have Ari come stand guard,” she tells her sister before dousing the light and slipping out of the room.

Her older sister has barely left the room when the younger girl decides to get comfortable, turning slowly onto her side so that she can stare at the tall man stretched out beside her. He is nearly seven feet in height, with wheat golden hair, naturally light tan skin, and a surprising set of freckles across his nose. According to the way his clothing fits he is in shape. Why does the name Khalon of Solace sound familiar, she wonders as her eyes drift shut, and is he really mine?


End file.
